There is more to the world than meets our eyes.
As we reach the one-year anniversary of October 7, and watch its repercussions play out in real-time to this day in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, we must confront a mystery. October 7, 2023, was Israel’s 9/11. Both events transcended the political, the ideological and even the natural realm. It was for this reason that I wrote “The Dragon’s Prophecy” — to deal with what lay behind both events –— the mystery of evil.
The Madman’s Fingerprints
In the 1930s, the most evil of historical figures, Adolf Hitler, financially supported, trained and empowered a newly-born organization called the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood would give birth to another organization — Hamas. The founding charter that brought Hamas contains Hitler’s thoughts and words. A dark chain runs from the Beer Halls of Munich to the tunnels of Gaza.
Hitler’s patronage of the Muslim Brotherhood would bear another fruit. One of the Arab youths who attended and led Muslim Brotherhood-run camps in Saudi Arabia and who was trained and indoctrinated by them was named Osama Bin Laden. It was the writings of the Muslim Brotherhood that provided the violent underpinnings of Al Qaeda. And from Bin Laden and Al Qaeda would come the calamity of September 11. Thus, behind the burnt rubble of the Israeli villages of that October and that of the fallen Twin Towers were the fingerprints of Adolf Hitler.
A Mystery of Times
The timing of Hamas’ attack on Israel was no accident. October 7 was the convergence of three Hebrew holy days — the Jewish Sabbath, the holiday of Simchat Torah, and the ancient observance from Mount Sinai called Shemeni Atzeret. It is the nature of evil to defile what is holy. On October 7, all three were desecrated.
So too, behind 9/11 lay a mystery of time. September 11 was an attack on American power. America’s rise to economic superpower was largely centered on the island of New York City. The rise of New York City began the day Manhattan was discovered by Henry Hudson. That day was September 11.
America’s rise to global military power has long been embodied by the Pentagon. The Pentagon began the day its builders broke ground by the Potomac River. That day was September 11.
So, the terrorists struck the embodiments of American military and economic power on the very day those embodiments were birthed. They had no idea, but the force that impelled them did.
The Mystery of the Dragon
What is the mystery of evil? It was in the wake of October 7 that I saw in my mind’s eye, the image of a dragon. It was that image from the Book of Revelation that birthed “The Dragon’s Prophecy.” For the dragon is the symbol of the one identified in Scripture as “the Enemy” — Satan.
He is the mystery of evil and the spirit behind it, the desecrator and the destroyer. He is also identified in Scripture as the mortal enemy of the Jewish people — and Israel. It is no accident that behind both October 7 and 9/11 was hatred and rage against those people and that nation — rage and war that manifests in every generation, for the dragon doesn’t die.
In our modern hubris, we imagine that we can dispense of such ideas as the devil. We cannot. He is as real as Adolf Hitler, Hamas, Osama Bin Laden, September 11, October 7 and his war to annihilate the Jewish people which was foretold in the Bible.
In the same Book of Revelation in which the vision of the dragon is given, another symbol is revealed — that of the lamb. The lamb represents the Messiah, Jesus. He is the dragon’s antithesis — and its only answer.
If we don’t recognize the reality of evil, we become subject to its power. If we don’t deal with evil — it will surely deal with us. It will rear its head in every age and generation. September 11 and October 7 are signs of that reality. We ignore the dragon at our peril. And we ignore the lamb at the risk of missing our only hope.
For there is more to the world than meets our eyes.
Jonathan Cahn is the author of his just-released book “The Dragon’s Prophecy” available wherever books are sold. He is the author of numerous New York Times bestselling books. He was named along with Billy Graham as one of the top 40 spiritual leaders who radically impacted our world. He has spoken at the United Nations and on Capitol Hill. His messages on the web (Jonathan Cahn YouTube) have received over one hundred million views. He leads Hope of the World (hopeoftheworld.org), a compassion outreach to the world’s most needy and the Jerusalem Center/ Beth Israel, a worship center made up of all peoples, in Wayne, New Jersey.